New Beginnings
by NinjaBuddy
Summary: After Harry Potter defeats Voldemort, he goes up to take a quick kip. What will happen when he has a vision, and two strangely familiar people show up? Complete summary on my profile page! Warning: J/L H/G R/Hr fluff and People coming back to life. Enjoy!
1. 1: Savior, Speeches, and Smitten

He had done it. Harry Potter had just defeated the cruelest, most wicked, heartless wizard of all time. He didn't think of it that way, though. Harry had help; not to mention all the people that died for him: Cho Chang, Terry Boot, Michael Corner, and so many others that he knew. Harry was just thankful that none of his loved ones died. Most of them injured? Yes. But dead? No. And technically, Tom Riddle committed suicide. His own spell rebounded on him. Again. And this time, there were no Horcruxes to save him.

It was quite a bittersweet moment. Bitter because all of the lives lost that could've been saved, but weren't all because of Harry. If he had only got out into the forest sooner…

But it was sweet, though for two reasons. One, Harry wouldn't have a crazed mania killer trying to hunt him down anymore. And secondly, Harry had a life in front of him. He could never even imagine what it would be like to have a future, because he didn't want to get his hopes up. But now he could.

He could have a life with Ginny as his wife. With little kids running around the house. _Mine and Ginny's kids_, he thought to himself. They could have Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and their kids come over for Saturday lunch, or they could go over to the Burrow to spend some time with the Weasleys, maybe head on over to Grimmauld Place to have dinner with the Blacks, or even fly over to Lupin's Mansit, which is Latin for Lupin's abode, to have a little chat with Remus, Dora, and Teddy. The possibilities where endless, and Harry loved that fact.

The normalcy ends there though, because of the bloody press. That's how he gets paid for his hard life all to save the Wizarding World. Non-stop articles in the Daily Prophet on him, books about him, interviews, the list goes on and on. But none of that mattered as long as he had his family there along side of him.

All these thoughts flashed in his mind an instant before Tom killed himself. Those thoughts, plus his parents. This was why they did what they did. They gave up their lives so he could live his.

Suddenly, Harry felt someone embrace him, and his first instinct was to grab his wand. That thought goes out the window, though, once he realized who it is. The two people who he could lean on for support. The two people who did everything with him. The two people who would go to the ends of the earth for him. His two best friends, Ron and Hermione.

Harry was about to say something to them when they pulled back and let Sirius and Remus embrace him. It was comforting to know his two father figures didn't die, and were here for him.

When they let go, only one name came to mind. _Ginny_. He started to roughly push his way through the crowds who all wanted to interact with "Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived." But the person he was looking for didn't want Harry Potter, she wanted Harry. Hopefully.

Before he could even take three strides forward, she was in front of him. Scarred, charred, dirty, and as beautiful as the day he first saw her. With no hesitation, he gathered her in his arms, picked her up, and kissed her with nothing but pure love. He got lost in the kiss, and was exhilarated when she kissed him back with as much passion as he felt. It wasn't long, but it was an earth-breaking, mind-shattering, breath-taking kiss, because all kisses with Ginny were like that.

He reluctantly pulled his lips away from hers, set her back on her feet, took her by the hand, and started walking towards the front of the hall. Quite conveniently, there was a piece of table still intact for he and Ginny to stand on. When they did, the Great Hall silenced immediately. Harry put his wand up to his throat, and whispered "Sonoras," and when he spoke, it filled the entire Great Hall. He started out hesitantly, but Ginny gave his hand a squeeze and he re-started, nice and firm.

"Well, hello. First off, I wanted to congratulate all of you and thank you for the help to defeat Voldemort. Without you guys, he would still be here, looming over us. But, with your help, he was destroyed. So, thank you. Second off, I would like to apologize for all the deaths that I have caused." at this, Ginny elbowed him in the ribs, but he kept plowing on. "For all your loved ones I could've saved if I had just done it sooner…" the guilt was evident in his voice, and for that he got a good stomp on the foot by his lovely (hopefully) girlfriend. "For that, I am truly and deeply sorry. Thirdly, I know I have asked too much of you already, but I have a teensy request. No questions until tomorrow, or whenever I wake up. I just can't deal with them right now. Please. And lastly, I have some words of advice for you. A great man once said, 'To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." This is true. Don't mourn and mourn over the loss over our lost ones until you eventually come to the conclusion it was all your fault. Because it's not. Guilt can eat you alive. Let's celebrate the lives that they had and not bask in your emotions until they explode. Trust me, I know. Confide in people. We need to start rebuilding this broken Wizarding World, and it will only happen if we learn to trust one another. Remember, Love conquers all. Thank you," Harry lectured. This was probably not the speech they were expecting, but it would have to do for now.

"Harry, that was a great speech," Ginny whispered in his ear as they walked hand in hand to the Weasley clan.

He blushed a brilliant shade of red and sheepishly shrugged with a smile. "I'm not the best with words…" he trailed off. Ginny just kissed his cheek.

"Gin?" Harry asked, slightly nervous.

"Ya?" she answered.

"I'm sorry. For breaking up with you. I was stupid, and I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, everyone already knew, which means Voldemort would, and-" he rambled, but was cut off by Ginny.

"It's okay. We're together now. And that's all that matters," she stated matter-of-factly, and he kissed her.

They walked up and found Sirius, Marlene, Remus, Dora, Arthur, Molly, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, George, Fred, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Professor McGonagall, and Kingsley Shacklebolt in the same general area.

Harry cleared his throat awkwardly and the whole lot looked over to him. In a blink of an eye, Molly was embracing him in one of her rib-crushing hugs, the guys came and either shook his hand or slapped him on the back, and to Harry's surprise, McGonagall came up and gave him a hug. She stepped back, looking in his eyes, and clearly stated, "Harry, your parents would be so proud."

He smiled. An actual, genuine smile. It had been so long since he actually had given a genuine smile to anyone other than Ginny, because Harry always smiles where Ginny is concerned, that he hadn't known if those muscles still worked. Apparently they did.

"Can I talk to all of you in Headmistress McGonagall's office? I believe we have some… er- matters… to discuss." Harry asked. He knew he could trust all these people. They were his family after all.

"Yes, of course," said Professor.

They all started to walk away, Ginny and Harry lagging behind, when he noticed Neville and Luna hadn't moved. Harry turned around.

"You guys comin'?" he asked them. Harry noticed they were holding hands. He knew that couple would happen sooner or later.

Neville looked taken aback, and even Luna looked slightly shocked.

"Us?" Neville asked, incredulous.

Harry nodded. "You guys are like my brother and sister. I want you to hear this," he said with a smile.

Neville nodded his head and walked in front of Harry and Ginny hand-in-hand with Luna.

"When did that happen?" Harry asked while pointing to Luna and Neville's clasped hands with his and Ginny's.

Ginny shrugged. "Sometime after the Easter holiday. That's when I started homeschooling," she explained.

Harry nodded his head, "I know."

Ginny shot Harry an inquisitive glance, but before she could question him, they were at the door of the Headmistress' office, ready to recount exactly what happened to the Golden Trio the last few agonizing months.

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A/N: Do you like it? I hope so! Review, please?

Oh! Harry Potter belongs to the wonderful J.K. Rowling.

~NinjaBuddy. But you can call me Rachel. :)


	2. 2: Gasps, Grimaces, and Grumbling

_~Professor McGonagall's Office at Hogwarts~_

Harry opened the door without knocking, and found the Weasleys, Lupins, Blacks, Kingsley, Professor McGonagall, Neville, Luna, and Professor Dumbledore's portrait sitting there watching Harry intently waiting for an explanation.

"Harry, my boy, we are so proud of you!" exclaimed Sirius. Marlene nodded her head in agreement.

"Thank you. Be proud of Ron and Hermione, too. They did everything with me," said Harry, sitting down and pulling Ginny into his lap.

"Right, well, I trust that you will all keep this between us?" Harry asked.

They all nodded in unison. "Thank you. Well… Professor Dumbledore?" Harry spoke to the portrait.

"Yes, Harry?" he replied.

"Do… Do I have permission to tell them… what exactly I was doing this last year?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, of course. But I would prefer if you kept that little adventure of ours a secret."

"Of course, sir. Okay. So, I guess it started when the invasion happened at the wedding…" Harry started. He, Ron, and Hermione all recounted their adventure. Seeing Dean. Ron running away. Godric's Hollow, which was a surprise to Ron. Ron coming back and destroying the horcrux, although the boys left out the little… chat… they had with it. The Snatchers. Malfoy Manor. Dobby dying. Shell Cottage. Gringotts. Going to Hogwarts. Finding the Diadem. Hermione kissing Ron. The woods. All of it.

No one interrupted, except an occasional gasp, or "why in Godric's name did you do that?", and very many terrified expressions. Of course, when Ron left, the families were outraged, but after finding out _why_ he left, about what the horcux did to him, they understood.

"And then, Tom Marvolo Riddle killed himself," Harry finished.

They sat there in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity to Harry before Fred finally spoke up.

"Thank Godric for your guts, Hermione! With the pace Ron was going, you'd be as old as Nicolas Flamel before your first kiss with him!"

That broke the tension in the room. Everyone burst out laughing so hard to the point of tears. Harry couldn't remember the last time he gave an actual, genuine laugh.

"I can't believe you broke into Gringotts! That's completely mental! " Bill manged to croak out between roars of laughter. Everyone nodded their head for the truthfulness in the eldest brother's statement, still chuckling.

"I vunder if zey got a new dragon?" asked Fleur once everyone calmed down.

That brought on a new round of laughter. When it died down, Harry spoke up.

"Alright. I'll talk to you all tomorrow. I'm beat. I haven't slept for three days," he managed to say before a yawn engulfed him.

"Alright, Harry, dear. Are you sure you don't want something to eat? I'd be more than happy to get you some food... You lot are far too thin," Mrs. Weasley offered.

"No thank you, Mrs. Weasley. I really am tired. I just want to sleep," he refused politely.

Ginny stood up, allowing Harry to get on his feet. He took her hand and walked out of the Head Mistress' office, away from the deathly looks from Ginny's six older brothers.

"Ginny, I need to talk to you," Harry explained.

"So that whole 'I need to sleep' thing was a lie?" Ginny smirked.

"No, I seriously haven't slept in three days, and haven't had a good night sleep since before I left… But you're my number one priority. Now, tell me. Are you mad at me?" he asked, leading them into the Gryffindor Common Room.

"What? No. Of course not. I understand why you left. I do," she reassured him after seeing his doubtful look. She stood-up on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek.

"Okay. So… does this mean we're… back together?" Harry asked while stepping into the seventh year's boy's dormitory. To his pleasant surprise, they kept his and Ron's bed. That meant they believed Ron and Harry were coming back. Their fellow classmates never lost hope in them, even when he did.

"I hope it does," Ginny said quietly while closing the door.

"I hope it does, too," Harry whispered back before pushing Ginny up against the wall and kissing her with all the love he had in him- which was a lot at the moment.

When they separated, both panting, Harry murmured, "You have no idea how long I have wanted to do that."

"Yes, I do." She kissed him again.

Ginny quickly pulled back. "I missed you," she whispered, noticing for the first time she hadn't said it yet.

"I missed you too," he whispered back at the same octave. Getting impatient, he quickly dove in for another kiss, but Ginny dodged it and he got her cheek.

"Harry, I missed you a lot. But, so did the shower. And soap. Go get cleaned up," Ginny smirked as Harry's face fell.

He groaned. "But it's going to hurt. A lot. I don't what it to hurt," he whined like the five year old he is sometimes.

"I know, sweetie, but I can't stand the stench of you," she replied while wiggling out of his grasp.

"Ugh. Gin…" he muttered.

"Let's go to Madam Pomfrey."

"No way. I'm not going there and seeing all the people that were hurt because of _me_. No. Way."

"Honey, it wasn't your fault," Ginny reassure him while running a comforting hand through his hair.

Harry dropped his head to her shoulder. "I know. It's just… I could have saved them," he muttered, barely audible.

Ginny sighed. "You and your hero instinct," she muttered under her breath. "No. You couldn't have. Now, come on. If you're not going to let Madam Pomfrey check those wounds, let me."

Harry's head shot up and gave her a quizzical look. "You know how to heal?"

Ginny nodded. "I had no choice but to learn how last year."

Harry nodded his head, only partially understanding, but knowing he'd figure out later. "Alright . I'll let you. Just don't freak out… I haven't let anyone see my injuries since shell cottage…"

"Harry! You are such a _prat_! Why didn't you?" she yelled. He could be very methodical at times, but sometimes, he was _very_ ignorant.

He tried to shrug, but the soreness in his shoulders stopped him from doing so, and he grimaced. "No need to worry others when there are more important matters at hand."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Alright. Fine. Take your shirt off, and lay down on your bed."

Harry gave her a smirk that rivaled his father's with a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Make me."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at him. "Alright, but you asked for it."

She ran to Harry, rugby tackling him onto the bed, and straddled his hips.

"Happy?" she asked.

"Very," he replied smugly.

Ginny laughed. "Of course you are." She bent down, kissed him chastely, and rolled off of him.

"Ginnny," Harry groaned. "I'm really tired. Can't we just sleep? I promise I'll let you heal me when we wake up. I'm just really tired right now…" Harry trailed off.

She looked as if she was having an internal debate, but Harry decided she chose sleeping as she snuggled closer to him.

"Alright. You win." Ginny snuggled up to his chest and fell into a deep sleep. Little did the two teenagers know what was going on at Godric's Hollow right now.

* * *

A/N: Ahhh! Clifee! No worries. The next chapter will most likely be up today… I just need to type it out. Sorry I haven't been updating… I'm going to the East Coast next summer with my class, so I've been doing a TON of fundraising. And homework. Always the homework.

Anywho, Happy Sunday! Review, please?

~NinjaBuddy. But you can call me Rachel :)


	3. 3: Theories, Thoughts, and Tragic Trips

_~Godric's Hollow~_

James Potter woke up to a very wrecked house. Wrecked is actually an understatement. The house was in complete and utter ruins.

He blinked a few times to get the sleepiness out of his eyes. How long had he been asleep? And then it all came back to him.

One moment he was entertaining Harry by making smoke appear at the tip of his wand, and the next, Voldemort was on his doorstep. He had told Lily to take Harry and go, but all the ways of exit were blocked. James froze on the spot.

_Lily… Harry._

James got up as fast he could- which wasn't very fast due to the haziness still in his brain due to his long sleep- and bolted-once again, not that fast- up the decaying stairs to the nursery. He knew Lily would have taken Harry there. He just knew it.

The door was somewhat ajar, so he barreled right thorough it to find Lily on the ground with her eyes closed. James instinctively dropped to his knees and looked down at his wife. She looked so peaceful. As James looked down at his Lily-Flower, two thoughts simultaneously hit him. One, where's Harry? Two, is Lily even alive? James kept his un-wavering gaze on Lily. He could feel his world crashing down around him. In one instant, his life was over. Lily and Harry were dead. He knew she looked too peaceful, with her eyes closed, the steady rise and fall of her chest, he knew- wait. The steady rise and fall of her chest? She's alive!

He ran a finger down her cheek. She felt ice cold. And now that he thought about it, he did too. James bent down and softly kissed her temple to wake her. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Hullo, beautiful," he murmured.

Lily smiled. "Hi," she yawned. Her peaceful face quickly molded into that of befuddlement. "James? Why are we in the nursery? On the floor? Why am I all dizzy? Where's Harry? Why is there a gaping hole in the wall?" she asked in a rush. Her features contorted into that of hysteria when realization dawned on her.

"Oh… James…" she started. "Harry."

With that they both leapt to their feet-Lily somewhat unsteadily- and started calling out his name frantically, searching every nook and cranny of the house with no such luck.

"He's… gone. What could've happened to him?" James asked in grief, shock, and disbelief.

"Do you think he… he… _took_ him?" pondered Lily, fear evident in her tone.

"No. NO!" James stated angrily. "Voldemort does not want him. He wants him_ dead_. What could he do with a bloody one year old anyway? Huh? No. He's gone. Maybe… Maybe…" he trailed off, sounding like he was trying to convince himself as well as Lily, and not knowing what that "maybe" was going to amount to.

"James. You don't think Voldemort…" Lily gulped. She couldn't finish the sentence. It was too hard.

He just nodded his head, and both broken-hearted parents broke down.

"But… But… we survived, didn't we? And if V-V-Voldemort k-k-killed H-H-Harry, where's his b-b-body?" stuttered Lily. She was sobbing full force now.

James wrapped his arms around her. "I don't know, Honey. I don't know," he replied as silent tears trickled down his face.

"Lily, Darling. Let's go see Dumbledore. We'll ask him, yeah?" James asked, his voice raspy from the unshed tears he was trying to hold back for Lily's sake. He had to be strong. He had to be strong for Harry. He had no choice but to be.

Lily nodded her head, which was still on his chest, and James heard a muffled "Okay," from Lily.

James lifted Lily off the ground bridal style and carried her to the fireplace after he grabbed their wands. He absentmindedly wandered if the Floo connection was still severed, but dismissed the thought as soon as it had come to him. Of course it was reconnected; Voldemort probably wasn't expecting anyone to live through the attack, therefore, no need to keep the Floo connection off.

What was he thinking? He could Apparate to Dumbledore! Yes, you couldn't Apparate into Hogwarts (his wife had told him many times- during school and when they were working in the Order), but, if you Apparated to Hogwarts, you'd end up outside the gates. Brilliant! And, if you Floo'd to Dumbledore's office without invitation, well, you might just end up being threatened to get beat with a broom in a old Muggle lady's house in Scotland. Not something James wants to experience again.

James was very proud of his idea, but this happiness was overruled by the next realization that flooded his mind. It pounded down on him harder than a thousand bricks free-falling on top of his head.

He was carrying his wife… because she was too weak to stand… because she was mourning the loss of their fifteen-month old son. And they were going to Dumbledore to see what happened.

James felt tears spring to his eyes as he tried to focus on Dumbledore.

_Dumbledore._

_Dumbledore._

He kept repeating it to himself, but his last thought before he turned on the spot, though, was Harry.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.

_~Gryffindor Seventh Year's Boy's Dormitory~_

Harry was fast asleep in the Seven Year's dormitories with Ginny snuggled up to his chest. Life was good.

A new sense of peace seemed to reflect off of Harry now, even though there were people everywhere trying to talk to him, and the ever-present guilt was always there, Harry felt… peaceful. For the very first time in his life.

He also felt other things he hadn't experienced with too much. Relief, pride for his friends (he'd always had that, just not as strong as now), happy, more relief, and love. He knew Padfoot and Moony loved him, but this love was different. This love was for Ginny. Sure he was only sixteen, and she was only fifteen, but she was the one for him.

These were the last thoughts that drifted through Harry's mind as he drifted off to sleep.

He wasn't expecting any weird dreams in his sleep. Nightmares? Yes, of course. Visions? No. Voldemort was dead. Voldemort. Was. Dead.

But this vision was not normal. It didn't involve Voldemort, for one thing, but thing it was about shocked him.

It was about James and Lily-Harry's mum and dad.

They woke up…

From being dead…

Fifteen years after Voldemort killed them…

Just like Harry as in all three of them gave up themselves willingly for the ones they loved without putting up a fight…

After Harry woke up, he didn't know what to do. If he told someone, they would probably tell him it was a dream. But it wasn't. He'd been having nightmares and visions for a long time; he knew how to tell one from the other. So, he sat in bed pondering his options.

Should he tell Dumbledore? Well, not _Dumbledore_ Dumbledore, but Dumbledore's portrait? Would he believe Harry?

Yes. Of course he would. There was not a time Harry could think of that his former Headmaster had doubted him. Okay, he might have held back a few secrets, but those are two completely kinds of trusts.

Harry made up his mind. He needed to go tell Dumbledore's portrait about his vision. There was really no choice, even though Dumbledore's portrait wouldn't tell him what to do or anything, he still needed to tell someone.

What could it mean? His parents… alive… seemingly healthy. And he was only sixteen, too. If his vision was correct, and his parents really were alive…

No. NO. He couldn't get his hopes up. Harry knew for sure it was a vision, but it was… different. _Maybe it was a metaphorical vision?_ Harry thought. A metaphor to what though, he was not quite sure of.

Harry slowed his breathing to a slow pace and mapped out a plan of what he was going to do.

First, he was going to wake Ginny and tell her. She always listened to what he had to say, no matter how absurd it might be.

Secondly, he would see Padfoot and Moony. Harry didn't know what good it would do to tell them before Professor Dumbledore's portrait-or any good _that_ would do, either- but Harry felt that they had a right to be the very first ones to know- excluding Ginny, of course.

Lastly, he would recount his vision to Professor Dumbledore's portrait and pray to Merlin that it would help- atleast a bit.

But right now, he had to wake up Ginny. The first step in Operation T.G.P.M.A.D.A.H.V.A.J.A.L.A.P.T.M.I.W.R. (Tell Ginny, Padfoot, Moony, and Dumbledore about Harry's vision about James and Lily and pray to Merlin it was real) or Operation G.S.A. (Get some answers) for short.

"Ginny?" Harry whispered. She didn't wake. He didn't like waking people up, because he felt he was snatching away their angelic face that would be replaced with a grumpy "why the bloody hell did you wake me up?" face.

"Ginny?" he tried again with no success.

"Gin?" Harry murmured for a third time with no results, so Harry did the only thing he knew for sure would wake her up. He kissed her. It definitely woke her up, for she climbed on top of him and deepened the kiss.

Harry reluctantly tore his lips from hers. Ginny gave a grunt of displeasure while going in for another kiss. He clumsily dodged it.

"Sorry, Gin. I just… I have something to tell you…" he muttered, wishing he could have just continued kissing her.

Ginny rolled off of Harry, allowing him to sit up. When he was comfortable, he picked her up and put her back on his lap.

"What is it, hun?" she asked Harry.

"I… I… I had a vision…" he trailed off. Harry felt Ginny stiffened beside him.

"N-N-No… he killed himself. I was there! Harry, you were dueling him! You hunted down all the horcruxes! Oh my Godric…" Ginny fretted.

"But, the thing is… it wasn't Voldemort's, it was… my mum's," he replied, the last part barely audible.

"W-what? Start from the beginning," ordered Ginny.

"Alright. It was like the visions I had of Voldemort, except, instead of seeing thorough his eyes, I saw through my mum's. I was woken up by my dad…" Harry shuddered at that. Things in visions always seemed more realistic than in dreams. "I can't really remember all of it.. but I remember mum and dad thinking I was dead… and then dad picked me- well, mum, actually- up and Apparated here…" Harry trailed off.

They sat in stunned silence for a bit before Harry broke it. "Ginny?"

"Hmm? Wha-? Yeah. What are you going to do?" she replied.

Harry sighed. "I don't know... but I do know that I want to talk to Padfoot and Moony. Would you mind going to get them for me when I sort out my thoughts?"

"Yeah. No problem," Ginny replied as she climbed off his lap.

Ginny was walking to the door, but with Harry's seeker's reflexes, he managed to swipe at her hand.

"And Ginny?" she looked back at him expectantly. "Thank you. For everything." And he really meant it.

Ginny swiftly bent down and gave him a soft, chaste kiss on the lips before saying "No need for thanking me," and swiftly walking out of the room to fetch Moony and Padfoot.

Harry's elation from the previous conversation deflated as he thought of his vision. What was he going to do? Was it real? His brain was whirling at a thousand miles per hour. Harry sat down on the edge of his bed, his elbows on his knees with his head buried in his hands, trying to calm himself. It couldn't be real, could it? And if so, how?

His thoughts were interrupted by a faint _pop _and Harry lifted his head from his hands.

In front of him stood two people. A wizard and a witch, the former with an unruly mop of black hair, deep, sad hazel eyes, and crooked glasses, and the latter with fiery red hair, emerald eyes, and a tear-stricken face.

These two people were familiar. They were exact replicas of James and Lily Potter.

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A/N: Two chapters in one day! And both of them clifees! I love you guys that much. A third one? Maybe... If I get my history done. *sighs* I hate timelines.

Anywho, Review? Thank you!

~NinjaBuddy, but you can call me Rachel.


	4. 4: Dead Dudes, Denial, and Dumbledore

A/N: Here's Chapter 4. It's quite… exciting, I suppose. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I was J.K. Rowling, do you really think I would be writing FanFiction?

Yeah. Didn't think so.

* * *

_~Hogwarts, Gryffindor Seventh Year's Boy's Dormitory~_

Harry, knowing something was ammis, whipped out his wand, shouted "EXPELLIARMUS!", and had both these… these… imposter's wands. To Harry's surprise, they didn't seem to care.

He stood with his wand still trained on the couple, but they took no notice. Instead, they were looking at _him_.

Not in the "Give me back my wand or I'm going to kill you" way, but almost as they recognized him… in an awestruck way.

Harry wasn't exactly new to this, but this time, it seemed… different.

He figured out why. For the first time in his life, the two replicas, for he refused to call them his parents, were gaping at _him_. Not his scar, but _him_. It was quite an odd feeling, but he knew better. Harry was furious. How dare these people act like his parents!

"You have maybe five minutes to explain yourselves. My girlfriend just went down to get the two best duelers I have ever seen in my life, one of which is my godfather, the other on my father's best friends. I'm a merciful guy. But this… this is taking it too far. Explain. _Now_," said Harry ferociously. This confused him to no end. The dream he just had… and now this… No. He couldn't even allow a glimmer of hope to seep through.

"Who are you?" asked the man hesitantly.

Harry let out a humorless laugh. "Who am I? Who am _I_? What is this? A joke? Someone trying to get me to have an interview? Didn't I tell you that I wanted absolutely no questions for a few days? Didn't I? Or are you a pair of Death Eaters, trying to get revenge on their master? Huh? Is that it? Tell me, how _low_ can you people stoop?"

The couple were still staring at Harry in shock. He was getting quite tired of it. "Say something! Well, actually, let me ask something. Who are you?"

The man-who-looked-like-Harry-with-hazel-eyes recovered first.

"I-I'm James Potter, and this is my wife, Lily Evans Potter," the look-a-like replied.

Anger flared up in Harry like none other. How dare these… these… monsters impersonate the two people he loved most in the world, even if he had never met them!

"You… You… How could you speak of them? To _me_! Of all people! Now, I'm going to ask one more time before Ginny, Padfoot, and Moony come. Who ar-" Harry started, but was cut off by his father's imposter.

"Padfoot and Moony… as in… Sirius Black and Remus Lupin?" he asked.

"Ah-ha, I see. Did some background checking? Or did you go to school with them? Or, did that little backstabbing git Wormtail tell you about them? Is that it?" Harry said. He really hated these people.

Pure loathing rose up in "Lily's" eyes. "Now, you listen here. I am _not_ a Death Eater, Wormtail _is_ a sick git, and I certainly am Lily Evans Potter!" "James" nodded his head to make the statement more agreeable. As if.

Once again, Harry let out a humorous laugh. "Please! Are you trying to tell me that my parents come back to life? After fifteen years of being dead? Huh?"

Harry noticed how their faces paled quite noticeably, but he ignored it.

"You disgust me."

Before either "Lily" or "James" could reply, a muffled "Harry?" leaked through the slightly ajar door.

His supposed parents were as white as sheet now.

"Yeah. Come on in. Gin- stay outside. Remus, Sirius pull out your wands. I believe we have a couple of rogue Death Eaters on our hands," replied Harry, seething.

He heard the door open and close behind him with a bang, footsteps following soon after.

"Harry! What? Ginny said something about a vision about Lily and Prongs-er-James? And Death Eaters? Where?" said Sirius all in a rush, not noticing his deceased best mate standing there.

At the same moment, Remus and Sirius saw who Harry's eyes were transfixed upon. In their eyes there was a flash of recognition, love, confusion, and then finally, anger. Both of their faces paled while drawing their wands.

"YOU LYING, FILTHY, SCUM-BAGS!-"

"HOW COULD YOU STOOP SO LOW? EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED-"

"-IMPERSENATING JAMES AND LILY-"

"-THEY DIED!"

"-OF HARRY!"

"Are you sure that's all that you're mad about? Them being mum and dad in front of _me_?" Harry questioned softly, knowing that both of them didn't want to see their best mates alive, when in a few seconds, they would morph back into Death Eaters and James and Lily would have slipped through their fingers once again.

"Er- no. I-I-I mean- yeah. Just, one problem at a time, yeah? Right now, we have these two to deal with," Padfoot answered.

"So tell me. Who are you?" questioned Moony towards the hazel-eyed-Harry.

"We've already told him!" 'James' pointed to Harry. "I'm James Potter! Prongs! Come on, Remus! Moony…?" he looked at Remus, who shook his head.

"Come on, Sirius! We're best mates! Padfoot...?" "Prongs" added weakly, towards Sirius, who also shook his head with a disgusted look on his face.

"NO!" Padfoot yelled. "My best mate-no offense, Moony."

"None taken."

"-James Potter, has been DEAD for fifteen bloody years. I had eleven years to think about it. James and Lily Potter are dead. Now, tell me who you are before I HEX YOU AND YOUR FRIEND INTO THE NEXT MILLENIUM!"

If James wasn't so freaked out, he would've chuckled. How many times had he heard that said to Snivelly before? Actually, he'd never heard it that curse-less before. James guessed Sirius toned down since… since… since when?

Prongs held up his arms in a surrender position.

"I swear, on Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, and-" he hesitated at Wormtail. Did it belong? No. It didn't. Such a traitor didn't deserve to have such a sacred name! "-a-a-and Moony's Marauder's Oath, that I, James Charles Potter, am really James Charles Potter, and my wife, Lily Marie Evans Potter, really is Lily Marie Evans Potter."

Moony and Padfoot got a look of pure despicable rage on their faces. "How dare you use the Marauder's Oath! HOW DARE YOU!" screamed Padfoot.

"I'M NOT BLOODY LYING!" screamed back Prongs.

"Prove it," replied Moony.

"Ask me… anything," pleaded James.

"What was my first word?" Harry butted in.

"Er- who are you?" Lily and James both replied synchronized. They looked at each other, gave a shaky smile, and looked back at Harry.

He sighed. Hadn't they picked that up yet?

"I'm Harry James Potter."

Lily's face went absolutely blank, and she stumbled back to sit on the bed, head in her hands. James went over to console her, but she would budge. All the while he was doing this, he kept thinking, "what the heck happened?". He sighed and walked back over to the trio. His eyes were set on Harry, a little misty, but… loving?

Loving? No. No way. Death Eaters don't love the Blacks, Lupins, and certainly not Harry.

"Y-y-your first word was Prongsie, and Lily said that we corrupted him," replied Prongs with a ghost of a smile.

"Wormtail knew that. He could've shared it with you. Give us something that he wouldn't know," said Moony, eerily calm.

James thought for a second. He knew he wasn't strong enough yet to transform, so he had to think of something else.

"Umm…" James was wracking his brain for a memory that did not involve his third ex-best friend. "For Harry's first birthday, you, Padfoot got him a toy broom, but you couldn't be there. You were on a mission for the Order. Because Lily couldn't thank you in person, she owled you a letter. A thank you letter. It told you about his birthday party with just Lily, Bathilda, and I. It also told you how much Harry loved his toy broomstick. And something about a cat, I believe…" he tried to think. "Oh! It said too that Lils couldn't believe that Dumbledore was friends with Grindewald… we sent a picture…" James managed to come up with.

Harry opened his mouth in shock. "S-S-Sirius," he didn't respond, "Padfoot. I-I was at Grimmauld Place before I left… and I stayed in your old room… there was a letter from mum… and a picture… it's- it's in my jacket somewhere… here…" he pulled it out and handed it to Padfoot. Harry felt no need to tell him Snape had ripped it in half.

"He could've seen it during the Death-Eater raid," Padfoot spat bitterly.

"Padfoot," said James. No response came from him. "Padfoot." Nothing. "Sirius!" Finally. "Look me in the eye, and tell me what you see."

Sirius hesitantly looked in James' eyes and his expression hardened.

"I see James Potter. But I _can't_ see James Potter. Do you know why? Because he's dead. Do you know how I know that? I saw him. On the floor. In the living room.  
Do you know what thoughts roamed through my head every bloody day while I sat in my cell in Azkaban? Huh? Do ya? No? I'll tell you. What if I wouldn't have made them switch Secret-Keepers? What if I just saw things, and James and Lily aren't dead? What if I used my Gryffindor bravery and bucked up and faced the challenges of Secret-Keeper? It's all my fault my best mate and his wife- who is like a little sister to me- died. Those were my thoughts. And I'm sure as _heck _not goin' to change them now. Tell me who you are, or I swear on Godric that I'll hex you to pieces!" ranted Sirius angrily all in a rush.

"I bet they're just press wondering about the prophecy…" muttered Moony under his breath, but Harry heard.

"Oh my Merlin," whispered Harry, and bolted out of the door at light speed.

Harry heard his name being called many times by Sirius, Remus, James, and Lily, but paid no heed. He had to see Dumbledore. _Now_.

When Remus had said prophecy, something Dumbledore said floated through Harry's mind.

"_Sybil got interrupted, actually. Tom came bursting through the door rather loudly and he spilt some drinks on her… she snapped out of it…_"

Professor Dumbledore might be dead, but his spirit isn't. His portrait isn't.

Harry was in front of the Stone Gargoyles in mere minutes because of the pace he was running at. The Gargoyle just let him pass. No password needed.

He barged in, not bothering to know. "Headmistress McGonagall! I need to speak with Dum…-" trailed off Harry.

What stood before him stopped his mouth from uttering a coherent phrase.

Alive and well in his old age stood Headmaster Dumbledore.

"Harry! How great it is to see you!" he exclaimed.

"P-P-Professor Dumbled-d-dore?" Harry finally managed to croak out.

"That would be I," Dumbledore replied, a twinkle in his eye.

"Prove it. My first year. I found the Mirror of Erised. I saw what, and when I asked you what you saw, tell me what you said," replied Harry suspiciously.

"Ah, yes. You saw your family, and I said I saw a pair of socks."

Harry's jaw dropped. No one knew that except for him and Dumbledore. _No one_.

"H-How?" stuttered Harry.

"Ah, you see, this might take a while. Please have a seat," Dumbledore requested, motioning to the same chair Harry's sat in every time he went to see his old Professor.

"No. Wait. I have something to tell you first. I had a vision last night."

Dumbledore's eyes got wide in shock. "A vision? He's dead, Harry. Are you sure it wasn't a dream?"

"Yes, sir. I can tell now. But it wasn't Voldemort. I saw it through… through…" Harry visibly gulped, "through Mum's eyes. They woke up, and Apparated here. I woke up and sent Gin-"

"Gin? As in Ginny Weasley? Are you two dating?"

Harry nodded and blushed ferociously, "Yes, sir… er- I think, at least."

"And with six brothers? A true Gryffindor. Anyways, continue."

"Er- yeah. I sent her to get Padfoot and Moony- ya know Sirius and Remus- and people that… that looked like Mum and Dad Apparated into my dorm."

Dumbledore seemed to get ready to ask Harry another question, when he was cut off by a loud _BANG_ as the door slammed open, showing an overjoyed Padfoot and Moony, and an ecstatic look on Lily's and James'. And to top it all off, Padfoot had the Marauder's Map in hand.

"The map never lies! Come look at this, Harry!" Padfoot exclaimed, still yet to notice that he was not the eldest occupant in the room.

Harry walked over and in fact, it read "Professor Dumbledore", "James Potter", and "Lily Potter", all in one room.

"Oh. My. Merlin."

The last thing Harry saw before he blacked out were five concerned faces above him and a golden Phoenix soaring across the sky into the Headmaster's office.

* * *

A/N: Okay! So this is chapter 4! Did you like it? Tell me!

I know what some of you might be thinking… "Why did he believe Dumbledore so fast when he didn't believe James and Lily?"

You'll learn in the next chapter :)

And for those of you saying...

"Harry's kinda stupid... he just had a vision of Lily and James coming back to life, and then he doesn't believe them?"

Cut me some slack, will ya? Don't you guys want some conflict?

Thanks a ton!

With sore fingers,

~NinjaBuddy


	5. 5: Longbottoms, LilyFlower, and Lounging

A/N: Ahhh! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in forever.  
But for an update: An Australian basketball team came to my school, I dyed my hair black, Christmas went FANTASTIC, my mum's birthday passed, my parental's anniversary passed, New Year's Eve is tomorrow, and I just about died from coughing. Not really, but I _was_ terribly sick… and it has just been really hectic. Especially with the whole family home. Sorry!

Anywho, here's Chapter 5! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I'm just gonna go with a plain, old, boring disclaimer this time. I am not J.K. Rowling.

* * *

_~Hospital Wing~_

Harry woke from a slight stirring next to him, under his arm. He inwardly sighed. Half in relief, half in disappointment. Relief because h didn't want to deal with Death Eaters- especially those would sink so low as to take the appearance of his long-gone parents- and disappointment because, much to his many internal battles and protests, he _did_ allow that inkling of hope to penetrate his thick skull. And he _did_ allow himself to think, though just for a split second, what if his parents were really back? And Dumbledore? That inkling of hope manages to encase your brain, so that everything that leads to what you were hoping for to be true ignites a new spark of hope until it becomes a blazing fire.

All the evidence leans to the fact that they were, indeed, Harry's mum, dad, and mentor. The ones who gave him life, and Dumbledore, in whom Harry confided in.

That roaring fire of hope is like climbing a ladder. The more you hope, the higher you get, which just leads to the bigger fall you know is coming.

Harry's life would've been perfect if he could stay in that dream forever, to never wake up. But of course, he wakes to what he know will be the empty Gryffindor Boy's Seventh Year Dormitories, his beautiful girlfriend sleeping soundly by his side, and a myriad of conflicting emotions. Mostly anger at himself for dreaming such things, and hoping them to be real, some disappointment for it not being real, and a twinge of guilt that's always there.

Harry took a deep breath through his nose, expecting the smell of dirty laundry, blood, cologne, mud, and Ginny's flowery scent to permeate through his nostrils. But that's not what he found.

Yes, Harry smelled blood, mud, and Ginny, but not the usual smell you would get from teenage boys' dorms. It smelled… sterile. Clean. Bleached. It smells like the Hospital Wing.

Harry's chest constricted. _Was it all real? No, it can't be… But the last thing I remember in my dream is blacking out… they _would _take me to the Hospital Wing…_

The internal battle in Harry's head raged on whilst he tried to sort through his thoughts. _Could it really be? Mum and Dad alive? My grandfather figure? Surely they couldn't be…._

But all of his thoughts ceased as he picked up a quiet murmuring from somewhere nearby.

"Sir, how did we Apparate into Hogwarts?" asked a familiar voice. It was hoarse from lack of use, maybe faked, maybe not. But it was a too familiar voice, a voice that haunted Harry's nightmares, what ran through his mind during a Dementor attack.

Harry's memory of this voice isn't an anxious tone, as it was now, but there was still no denying it. That was the voice of Lily Evans Potter. Harry decided to listen in. He figured he had been out a fair amount of time, considering he couldn't see any lights, except for one or two candles light nearby. He decided to feign sleep to get more information.

If they were Death Eaters, he figured McGonagall, Sirius, Remus, or _someone_ would've figured it out. So now, instead of worrying if the look-a-likes came to murder him, he started worrying if the imposters were really imposters after all.

"Well," said his old Headmaster's voice, pensive yet gleeful. It rarely varied. "There was a…" he tried to come up with the word, "Ah." He found it. "Breach in the security, I guess you could say."

There was a long pause.

"Um… Alright. Now, can you tell us what the _bloody hell is going on_? Because last time I checked, Sirius and Remus were twenty-one, Harry was one, Hogwarts wasn't in ruins, and no one looked like they just survived going through a meat grinder!" said another familiar, masculine voice. Another one that haunted Harry's nightmares. Another voice he used to dream of hearing in person. This was the voice of Harry's dad. The wizard belonging to this voice was none other than James Potter.

"Mr. Potter, I've already told you this. I can't answer you until I get a chance to talk with Harry. And besides, he might want to tell you. A few things I can tell you though are, yes, it has been fifteen years since you last saw your son. Yes, he is the one you Apparated to. He is an amazing young man, and I'm proud to say that he was my favorite pupil. Now, you might want to go before he wakes. He does know quite a bit of wandless magic. And that was a year ago. Think about what he could do now. He might go into shock or denial, and let me tell you, he doesn't just have Lily's green eyes."

Harry heard a masculine laugh, finding Dumbledore's crack at Harry's temper funny. Or maybe it was Lily he made the joke about. Or both of them.

A thought occurred to Harry as his possible parents left the room. Both times he survived the Killing Curse, it had left a scar. One on his forehead, and one on his chest. So, if these people really were his parents, would they have scars too? Will he not only be the Boy-Who-Lived, but be part of the Family-That-Lived? Harry made a mental note to ask Dumbledore.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, I do believe we have some things to discuss. So if you would open your eyes, it would be much easier," said Dumbledore, the same twinkle in his eye.

_How in Godric's sake does he do that?_ Harry thought to himself. He slowly opened his eyes as Ginny and he sat up.

"How…?" Harry didn't know how to finish that question. _How are you alive?_ Seemed rather tactless, but that's all he could think to ask.

"Am I alive?" finished Dumbledore. Harry and Ginny nodded.

"Well, I do have a theory…" Dumbledore started. He turned his head to Ginny, who had Harry's arm around her waist. "Miss Weasley, do you know of Harry's prophecy?"

"Yes, sir," Ginny replied.

"Alright, Harry, you don't mind Miss Weasly hearing this?"

"No, sir. Of course not," Harry replied while tightening his arm around her waist.

"Okay. So, about my theory. The prophecy. Remember what I told you what happened while I was hearing it?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, sir. Tom came in rather loudly and spilt the butterbeer on Professor Trewlaney, making her snap out of her trance."

"Precisely," Dumbledore agreed.

"… So what exactly was saying when she snapped out of it? What does it have to do with my supposed 'parents' coming back to life?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "Why is it that you believe I've come back to life, but not your parents?"

Harry pondered this for a moment. Why did he believe that? "Well, I guess it's a few things. First, you were only dead for a year, and I hadn't seen anyone else except for Ron, Hermione, Bill, and Fleur during the course of that year, really… Secondly, I got to know you, ya know, sir? I formed a bond with you and trusted you. I didn't get that with my parents, therefore, it's just… easier. And lastly…" Harry trailed off, embarrassed to voice what he hoped and dreamed for for the first eleven years of his life.

"Yes, my dear boy?" Dumbledore asked, beaming with pride. He knew Harry had trusted him, but that much? He felt overwhelmed.

"Well, it's just… nevermind," Harry finished lamely. He really didn't want to admit what had kept him sane during those years in the cupboard. Not right now, at least. "Now, what were you saying about the prophecy?"

The professor eyed him skeptically, wishing Harry'd go on. But alas, he didn't. "Yes. Well, when the butterbeer soaked her, she snapped out of her trance, unable to finish the last of her prophecy. The last five words she said were "the three he misses most", and so James, Lily, and I must be the ones you miss the most."

Harry thought this over. Could it be? No. No, No, No, No. No. No way. It's just not possible. Or is it? Harry's mind went into overload. He groaned while sinking back into the pillows, pulling Ginny closer to him, and closing his eyes, hoping to avoid the headache he knew would be coming.

Dumbledore must've noticed Harry's need to sift through his thoughts, for he started, "Yes, well, I should probably go talk to Sybil… maybe she-" but was cut off as the sound of the door banging open interrupted him.

Harry looked around for the source of the commotion when something registered in his mind. They were in the Hospital Wing. Alone. After a massive war. Where many people were injured. Where was everyone?

"Harry! Ginny!" yelled a now rather skinny, bruised-up boy, none other than Neville Longbottom.

"Hey Neville," they replied in unison. He had yet to notice the dead man standing next to the bed.

"Harry. Ginny. I was being patched up by Madam Pomfrey in the Common Room-"

"Common Room?" interrupted Ginny, "Why?"

"The hospital wing is much too small for that many injuries. Madam Pomfrey and some healers from St. Mungo's are making rounds of the common rooms. Now, anyways, I was being patched up by Madam Pomfrey, and an owl flew over to me, dropped a note, and flew away. It had the St. Mungo's crest on it. I was nervous, thinking something bad had happened to Mum and Dad. But you'd never believe what it said!"

"What!" Harry and Ginny yelled in unison. Again.

"Here," Neville handed them a letter with the St. Mungo's crest on it. Harry opened it up and read it hesitantly. Harry's, Ginny's, and Dumbledore's jaws dropped at the content.

_Dear Mr. Neville Longbottom,_

_We would like to inform you that your mum, Alice Jayne Stevenson Longbottom, and your dad, Frank Nicholas Longbottom have come out of their current mental state. It seems that they're back to their normal selves. They're asking for you. We'll try to explain it next time I see you. Which will be soon, I hope. They're about to die (not literally) of anticipation to see you. Come A.S.A.P._

_Congratulations,  
Healers Delly Cartwright and Vic Hawthorne_

Harry, Ginny, and Dumbledore stared at the page in disbelief.

"Well, dear boy, what in Merlin's name are you doing here?" asked Dumbledore.

"Well, sir, I really wanted to tell Harry and Ginny, and the Floo network isn't up yet apparently, because I've tried. And tell you the truth, sir; I'm a little scared of Apparating. I'm so excited, that I'll probably splinch myself if I try, Professor Dumbledore," Neville said nonchalantly.

His eyes widened at the sudden realization.

"P-P-Professor Dumbledore…? How…? Why…? WHAT?" Neville half yelled in disbelief.

"Neville, we'll explain it to you later. Professor Dumbledore will find a way for you to get to your parents. You need to see them," Ginny explained firmly, yet softly.

Neville nodded numbly "O-Okay…"

Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, "I'm going to get Mr. Longbottom here to St. Mungo's, and then talk to Sybil, see if she remembers anything about the job interview," he trailed off in thought. "Now. I'm leaving. You two stay right here." The professor turned to Neville. "Give me your sock, Mr. Longbottom."

Neville warily took his left shoe, then sock, off and handed it to the elderly man.

Dumbledore murmured a charm, handed the sock back to Neville, which was glowing blue, and Neville disappeared into thin air.

The old-possibly new- Headmaster turned back to the young couple in the bed. "Harry, Miss Weasley, I'm going to go talk to Sybil. Stay. Here. And under no circumstances are you to travel outside this hospital wing."

The teens nodded and Dumbledore disappeared swiftly out the door.

Harry turned to Ginny with an innocent smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Whatever shall we do with this alone time, Firecracker?" he asked while playing with her hair. Ginny liked it when Harry called her that. And _only _Harry. If anyone else did, they would have Bat Bogey's flying at them before they could even mutter "Red-headed temper". Harry leaned down to kiss her, but when his lips, were mere inches away, she said, very seriously,

"Owl Remus and Sirius."

Harry groaned. This was not working well.

"Gin. I didn't see your gorgeous self for nine bloody months. I couldn't touch, kiss, or simply stare at you because I wanted to for _eleven bloody months_, and you're asking me to spend my alone time with you- which is far too scarce for my liking- talking to my godfather and old professor?" he asked, incredulous. "Hmmm. Let me think this through. Snog the daylights out of the love of my life, or talk to Moony and Padfoot, knowing when we'll ask questions we'll get an 'I dunno' in reply. Very tough choice, indeed," Harry finished, sarcasm dripping in every word.

Ginny stared at him in disbelief. "You love me?" her voice was barely above a whisper.

Harry gave a small chuckle. "Well, isn't it obvious? Of course I love you! There's no one else who compares to you, little Firecracker. I love you."

Ginny's grin seemed to light up the entire room. "I love you too," barely left her lips before Harry did exactly as he told her he would: Snog the living daylights out of her.

_~Outside the Hospital Wing~_

Meanwhile, while Harry and Ginny were reconnecting, Dumbledore walked up to James and Lily with a grin stretching ear to ear.

"Lily. James. It's so good to have you two back. Now, I'm going to go down to Sybil and confirm my suspicions, but before I do, I have to tell you something. Under no circumstance are you to enter that Hospital Wing."

"Why's that, sir?" Lily inquired.

"Well, first, Harry might go berserk. Think you're Death Eaters, stun you, maybe ev-" he started, but was cut off by James.

"I could take him," the hazel-eyed man spoke.

"Ah. I wouldn't be so sure. He's had practice. A lot of it. Maybe even as much as some of the Auror's around here. Much more than any of the students that go to this school, I know. He'd be quite the competitor," Dumbledore chided.

Lily instantly paled. James encircled her waist from behind and pulled her into his chest comfortingly. "And why's that?" she asked, frightened by the answer.

"It's not mine to tell. It's Harry's," the twinkly-eyed man explained.

James nodded, somewhat relieved that he didn't have to find out why his son, his son's… girlfriend, was it?, Padfoot, and Moony all looked as if they had just taken a little stroll through hell. But he also wanted to know. He wanted to know _so badly_. "And…?" James prodded.

"…And Harry and Miss Weasley are having a much needed chat alone right now."

"And why's it much needed?" Lily asked, her temper flaring up again. She had a right to know about her own son!

"Again, Lily. I'm sorry. I will only tell you if Harry has no desire to do so." And with that, Dumbledore walked out of sight.

Lily pulled out of James' arms and was breathing heavily, something she often did while panicking. "Flower, calm down. It's okay. He's alive. And hopefully happy. That's all that matters," murmured James into Lily's hair while rubbing soothing circles on her back.

When James noticed she calmed down almost completely, an idea struck him.

"Flower?" he whispered into her ear, once again circling his arms around her waist from behind. "Whatever shall we do during our alone time alone?" James asked innocently. He nuzzled her neck with his nose.

Apparently, she wasn't catching his drift, for just as his lips were going to make contact with her neck, she blurted out, "Talk to Padfoot and Moony."

James groaned. Let's just say "talk to my two best mates while I had alone time with my wife" was not a top ten on his "things-to-do list". And he told her just that.

"Lils. I haven't seen or touched my wife in _fifteen bloody years_. Do you _really _want to talk to _Padfoot _and _Moony _while we have some alone time? Together?" he asked, grinning at the first of three Marauderettes mischievously.

"No," she admitted shyly.

"Exactly," James replied smugly. He lifted Lily up bridal-style, walked to a nearby broom cupboard, and pleased his wife for the first time in fifteen years.

_~Hospital Wing~_

After Ginny's and Harry's innocent, little snog session, Ginny half-sat, half-laid in-between Harry's legs, propped up against his chest, absentmindedly drawing incoherent pictures on the strong arms that encircled her.

"So, did you think of me?" Ginny asked, somewhat nervously. Only Merlin knows why.

"Every day, love," Harry sighed, kissing the top of her head.

"Dream about me?"

"Every night."

"Good."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry smirked.

"It's a nice feeling… ya know… knowing someone's thinking about you…" Ginny trailed off, a red wave spreading up from her neck.

"Well, that feeling should seem natural to you by now," he replied.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Ginny. I've thought about you every bloody second since the summer before sixth year," Harry explained.

Ginny was confused. "We didn't start going out 'til the beginning of the last term…"

Harry blushed a fantastic red. "That didn't mean I didn't think about you…" he muttered, embarrassed.

"You fancied me… during the summer?"

Harry merely shrugged, still embarrassed.

"No, no, no, Potter. You're going to give me an answer whether you like it or not," she lightly teased.

"Well, I dunno. I guess I just thought about you a lot, ya know? But I didn't know I fancied you 'til when I saw you with Dean in that corridor…"

Ginny laughed. "Well, you dolt, why didn't you ask me out sooner?"

"You were dating Dean," Harry stated.

"So?" she inquired.

"You were dating him! I wasn't going to intrude. Or worse, get rejected…" he trailed off, mortified.

"Harry! I had fancied you since I was a baby! You really think I would have rejected you? You're a git! I never stopped liking you!" she ranted, amused.

"Well you could've told me that…" Harry muttered under his breath.

Ginny gave a soft chuckle.

Trying to change the subject to save himself from further embarrassment, Harry asked, "What do you suppose Ron and 'Mione are up to? I'm surprised they haven't noticed we're missing…"

"They're probably off in a broom cupboard somewhere," Ginny said matter-of-factly.

"You're probably right," he laughed.

"Of course I am," she scoffed.

The couple talked aimlessly for a while before Ginny brought up the subject that has been gnawing at them all day.

"So, hun. Um… Okay, well… What do you think about… those… people?" asked Ginny slowly, not wanting to upset Harry.

"I think," he began slowly. "…that you were right. We need to owl Moony and Padfoot."

Ginny gave him a smug smile. "Told ya so."

"Whatever," Harry replied grumpily, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Very mature," she countered, smiling. "Well, I s'ppose we should go get Hedwig, yeah?"

Just as she said this, the aforementioned bird came soaring from her usual perch in the owlery and landed on Harry's shoulder, cocking her head slightly, as if asking, "Yes?"

He quickly scribbled a note on a spare bit of parchment found on the desk beside him.

_Dear Padfoot and Moony,_

_We need to talk to you about something as soon as possible. We have a lot of questions, and we expect them to be answered. We're in the Hospital Wing._

_Get your butts down here,_

_Harry and Ginny_

He gave it to the owl, and she took off towards the other side of the castle to deliver the letter.

_~Outside the Hospital Wing~_

Meanwhile, James and Lily were waiting for an explanation.

"James…" moaned Lily impatiently.

"Yes, Flower?" James replied.

A small smile formed on her lips at the use of her old to some-but usual to her and James'-nickname. "I want to know what in Merlin's name is going on, and I want to know it now!" she exclaimed angrily.

"Okay, fine. I think it's time," he said gravely.

"Time for what?" she asked curiously.

"Time for me to start listening to my wife."

Lily mock-gasped. "Are you cheating on me, Jay?"

James chuckled. "Why would you think that, sweetheart?"

"Because. Not once has James Potter ever listened to me. That's unheard of. Even though I _am _always right."

The hazel-eyed young man scoffed. "No you're not."

"Oh, yes I am. Remember that time you, Remus, and Sirius were trying not to get caught by Mr. Filch after hours, and I told you not go left and you _did _and got caught? Or that time when I warned you I would stab you with a fork if you pulled a prank on me again. Or that time when I said that you should've read a book to Harry before he went to sleep rather than let him ride on his broom. And…" Lily continued, but was cut off by her husband.

"Okay, okay. I get it. You're right about a lot of things."

"And what am I _not _right about, then?" she questioned.

"Two things, actually," James began. "One. You said that I should've given up on you after 5th year. Two. You said that you're grandma would like me…" he finished with a shudder.

Lily gave a soft laugh. "That's true. I'm so glad that you didn't give up on me after 5th year, sweetheart."

James wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her softly. "Me too."

"Alright. So we established that I'm right about _most _things."

"Yep," James agreed, still in a daze from kissing his wife. It surprised him that even after being together for years that he was even more in love with her than when they started dating.

"Okay. So what're you going to listen to me about?" she asked, curious.

James looked at her quizzically, snapping out of his daze. "Hmm?"

Lily laughed at her husband's cluelessness. "You said you were going to start listening to me…" Lily filled in.

Comprehension dawned on the young man's face. "Ooh. Right. Well, I think you're right," (Insert Lily's fake mock-gasp here). "We should write Padfoot and Moony."

"You're right," Lily agreed as she conjured up a spare bit of parchment and a quill. The green-eyed woman scribbled a quick note.

_Dearest Padfoot and Moony,_

_We need to see you two. Now. I repeat: We need to see you right now. I want to know what the bloody hell is going on, and I want to know now!_

_Love,_

_Lily and Prongs_

When Lily finished jotting down the note, James did a four not whistle.

Lily looked at her husband like he was mental. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

"Whistling an owl."

As if on cue, a magnificent, tawny brown owl flew in from a nearby window.

James walked over, tied the string to its leg, told her who it was for, and sent her on her way.

All three Potters where going to get answers. And soon, whether the others like it or not.

* * *

A/N: Okay! That took forever to type out. Even longer to write. Jeepers Creepers.

Oh! I got a Quizilla! And Wattpad! Check it:

Quizilla: /user/ninjabuddy/

Wattpad: /user/WizardNinja4Jesus

I also got a FictionPress under NinjaBuddy, but since I just upload the stories I write for Wattpad onto there, it'd be kind of repetitive to give you the link…

Anywho, I want all you Hunger Games fans to search for something.

There's something from the Hunger Games in this chapter. What is it?

I'll write you a one-shot for your pairing of choice (no slash or incest, please) _and _mention you in the next chapter!

Good luck!

With apologies for the wait,

~NinjaBuddy


	6. 6: Answers, Apologies, and Awaitings

A/N: Wow. Okay. So I haven't updated in forever and a day. There's no excuse that's good enough. I am so, so, so, so, so a zillion times sorry!

And I'm going to start replying to all reviews, so if you want me to reply, please don't leave them unsigned.

Here's Chapter 6! Enjoy!

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_~Outside the Hospital Wing~_

"Where are they?" complained an ever-grumbling Lily Potter.

"Love, it's only been a few minutes. They'll be here soon," James reassure his wife, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, setting his chin atop her head.

"I know, Babe, I know. I'm just nervous, I guess," she admitted meekly.

"About what?" James asked curiously.

"Oh, I don't know," Lily started, sarcasm dripping from every letter. "Maybe because we're magically forward in time? That our eighteen month old son is now sixteen years old? Or maybe because I've been told that we died? Or just possi-" she worried, but was cut off by her husband's deep, mesmerizing voice.

He pulled back. "Shh. Honey, that's not what I meant. What are you nervous about the most?" he asked in a soothing, patient voice. That's the thing about being married to Lily: You had to have patience. And boy did James have it.

"Oh," she gave a forced a nervous chuckle. "What if he doesn't want anything to do with us? What if he hates us? Oh Merlin, I couldn't handle that. What if-" Lily rambled, his soft lips were slanting across hers.

"Calm down, love. Calm down. It's all going to work out in the end," James stated confidently after they broke apart and he once again placed his chin on her head.

"How do you know?" asked Lily helplessly.

"I just do."

She relaxed into his chest. "Okay, James, I'll believe you. I guess."

James gave a small chuckle.

Suddenly, the door burst open, scaring the wits out of the two lovebirds. There, in the middle of the doorframe, Sirius stood huffing and puffing.

He did a double-take at Lily and James, a wide smile appearing on his face. Sirius still hasn't gotten used to his best friend and his wife being alive.

"You owled?" he asked, breathing deeply with his hands on his knees.

James laughed. "What the heck, Sirius? Did you just run from your dorm? And Sirius! You- you- you cut your hair!" he exclaimed with awe.

Sirius nodded vigorously, his recently short-hair bobbing with it. James and Lily continued to stare at the middle-age man, gazing at him in shock at their new revelation. The hazel-eyed man gave his best friend a quizzical look, causing Sirius to hold up his index finger in a "one moment" gesture.

Taking a deep breath, Sirius started. "You see, when Mar and I first got married, we had this, well, deal. Well, not really a deal, it was more just something I said. I clearly stated that James and Lily Potter would come back when my hair was short. I never actually thought you would come back- so it was about as likely as my hair being short. But, I kept to my word. I used the 'grooming' spell, and-BAM!" Sirius snapped his fingers together. "There went my hair. And my facial hair."

"Well," started Lily slowly, "It makes you look younger."

James nodded his head in agreement.

"So, you owled?" asked Sirius once again.

"Right," James said as if he just remembered. "Well, we have some questions for you."

"That's to be expected," Padfoot replied.

"Okay, first of all, what happened exactly? Like, what happened when we… died?" Lily asked shakily.

"Well, let's sit down first," Sirius replied, conjuring three recliners and some tea.

"Okay, well, on Halloween night, 1981, Voldemort came to your house. Pettigrew gave him the address. He came in and he k-k-killed you t-t-two. What happened was that you, Prongs, tried to protect Lily here, and when he k-killed you, Prongs, he went to Lily. Lily threw herself in front of Harry and protected him. When Lily d-d-died, Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry and said the Killing Curse," Lily and James had tears in their eyes at this point. They knew what happened, it just hurt to hear it. And their precious baby boy…

"He said it, but the spell backfired on him, and supposedly killed him," Padfoot finished.

"Okay, so what happened after that?" asked James.

"You see, this is where my stupidity shows. No one knew we switched Secret-Keepers, you know? Okay, well, I just felt bad that night. I didn't know why. It was more than the usual worry I felt. It felt like something terrible had happened. I immediately flew to Godrics Hollow on my motorbike immediately. I-I-I saw you guys there… on the ground… I thought all three of you had died. But, I heard a baby's cry. _Harry's _cry. I found him looking down at Lily from his crib as if he was expecting you to just pop up and go, 'Surprise!'. He looked up at me and gave that cute little giggle he always did, and goes, "Pafoo?' like he always did. I was furious. How dare Pettigrew betray my best mate and his family? I picked Harry up out of the crib. That's when Hagrid came and told me that Dumbledore wanted Harry. I had no problem with that, because I had already made a plan in my mind to track down Pettigrew and kill him. I gave Hagrid my motorbike and Harry, and he had set off. I then searched for Pettigrew. I was obsessed. I finally found him on a Muggle street corner. I was just so… berserk. I was demented. All I could think about was getting revenge, for you guys. I went up to Peter, and I went off on him. On how he betrayed you guys, and he should've just died… But then he started yelling. Things like, "Lily and James, Sirius? How could you? They were your friends!" . I was extremely confused. What was he on about? But then, he took out his wand just as I was about to kill him. He… he… he cut off his finger, and said a spell. He transformed into a rat and got away. I was blamed for the murder of eleven innocent muggles and one wizard- Peter Pettigrew. I was sentenced for life to Azkaban without a trial, and was there for eleven years. I escaped using Padfoot," Sirius explained.

"Gah. Why was I so stupid! I should have just gone to Dumbledore and explained everything! But no, I let my anger get the best of me… I'm sorry, you guys. I'm so sorry that I thought of your guys' revenge over Harry and being a good godfather. I'm so sorry..." he ranted, his head in his hands.

"Shh, Padfoot. I understand. I get it. You're forgiven. But, who did Harry live with? Remus?" soothed James.

Sirius shook his head. "No."

"Dumbledore?"

"No."

"Well than, who?" asked Lily.

"I can't say, that's Harry's job," Sirius said sorrowfully.

Lily and James sighed simultaneously. "Well, than. He needs to tell us!" Lily all but shouted.

"Sh, Flower. Just give him some time. He'll come around," James reassured his wife.

"Yeah, Lils. Harry's been through a lot throughout his lifetime. He doesn't know what to think. Just let Remus talk to him, and it'll be alright," Sirius explained.

"What has Harry do-?" Lily started, but was cut off by Padfoot.

"I can't tell you, Lils. I'm sorry."

Lily grunted.

"Fine. But I hope he comes around soon enough."

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A/N: Uploading? What's this new term? I've never heard of it before…

So sorry that it took forever! I promise I'll write faster next time :P

Hope you like it!

-Rachel.


	7. 7: Risks, Remus, and RockingChairs

A/N: So, can I go hide in the corner? I am SO unbelievably sorry for not uploading. I've had vacations, mission trips, friends, midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, family… so much to do! I thought with summer there'd be more uploads, but I guess not! .

I am SO sorry, once again! And sorry about the shortness :/

Here's the long-awaited Chapter 7!

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_~Hospital Wing~_

"You owled?" a voice rang through the silence of the Hospital Wing, alerting two young teenagers of another's presence. Harry and Ginny bolted up from their previous position, which the intruder deemed quite compromising. Harry's face flushed a deep red, embarrassed for being caught.

"I-I-It's not what it looks like, I just-" Harry was cut off. Ginny gave a little chuckle during his rant. That's one of the many things that Harry adores about Ginny- she doesn't really get embarrassed.

"No worries, my boy, I was young and in love once. No need for explanations," Remus guffawed.

"Well what are you, now, then?" Ginny shot back to her old professor.

"Old and in love," he quickly replied with a chuckle. Ginny joined in.

"Er-right…" Harry trailed off, a light pink still coloring his face.

"Anywho, down to business, you owled?" the graying-man repeated.

Harry cleared his throat. "Um, yeah. We were just wondering what the bloody hell is going on?" he finished, curiosity and annoyance mixed in his shaking voice.

Remus gave an aggravated sigh and took a seat to the left of the bed. "Listen, Harry. I can only tell so much…"

"Why, Remus? Why can you only tell me so much? Do you understand what is happening to me? Do you understand that my supposed 'parents' are right outside that door? Do you understand that, Remus? Do you?" Harry yelled. He didn't care if all of Hogwarts heard him; he had to get his point across.

Remus was shocked. Harry hardly ever called him Remus, now. Usually he only said it when he was beyond serious. "No, Harry, I don't understand. Make me understand, though. Please," Remus pleaded with the sixteen-year-old.

Harry gave him an unsure glance. He looked down at Ginny. "Love, I know this is a lot to ask, but could you let Remus and I have some time alone? It's not that I don't want you to hear, it's just that-" he started to ramble, but was cut off with a chaste lips on the lips from none other than Ginny.

"I understand," she whispered as she untangled herself from Harry and sauntered over to the other side of the Hospital Wing. She conjured one of her favorite Muggle books of all time; _Pride and Prejudice _by Jane Austen. The fiery red-head hunkered down in a bed and started devouring the well-planted words.

Harry did a quick silencing-spell before turning back to Remus.

"Listen, Moony…" Harry started, nervousness making his voice quiver.

"Yes?" Remus encouraged him.

"Moony, what do you think of those people? Do you really think they're… you know… Mum and Dad?" the green-eyed boy asked timidly.

Remus heaved a sigh, debating what to say. "You know what, Harry? I want to know what _you _think. Who do you think they are?"

Harry pondered this question. Who does he think they are? He doesn't know. What _should _he think? The raven-haired teen put his head in his hands. "I don't know, Moony! What should I think? I'm lost. I _want _to think that they're actually them, but I don't want to get my hopes up. Because maybe, just maybe, they're not. And I'll get back to the idea that they're actually back, and then they'll slip through my fingers again. What if that happens, Moony? What if?" Harry all but sobbed to Remus.

The older man's eyes softened in understanding. "Harry. You love your parents, no?" Remus asked gently.

Harry got a fierce look in his eye. "No one loves them more than me, Remus John Lupin. Never question that," he blazed.

"Harry, my dear boy. You know I love Dora, don't you?" Remus continued. Harry had no idea where this was going.

"Yes…" Harry replied cautiously.

"Harry, do you think that Dora and I's love is easy? That I wasn't scared that I'd hurt her- or that if, godric forbid, I got her pregnant she'd give birth to a werewolf? I was terrified. Absolutely, 100 percent frozen with fear. But you know what? I took a risk. Love is about taking risks, Harry. And look where it got me. The happiest man on his planet we call Earth. Harry, you need to take a risk," Remus explained to the green-eyed savior.

"But-" he started, but was cut off.

"No buts. Well, there will be a lot of buts, what ifs, why not's, but before you know it, those insecurities will over-power your life, and your chance will drift away like the wind. Harry, you just need to believe. Believe that those are your parents. Trust that they're your parents."

Then the most wonderful thing happened. Harry opened his mouth-

"Okay."


End file.
